There are probably spoilers in this post and throughout this forum for Snuff and Unseen Acedemicals. Read ahead at your own risk.

If we assume the Patricians growing interest in the crossword puzzle lady, along with the surprising risks he has been taking, is a sign of growing instability, what would happen if he became too unstable? Consider all the known factors of Ankh Morpork. How would Vimes respond to it? Would carrot take the throne? What about Moist, the Ridcully brothers, and even Mrs. Cake?

Since this is all hypothetical, you can't be wrong. However, you can be questioned. Be prepared to defend your stance, and also be prepared to look at other people's ideas with an open mind.

"Just because someone's a member of an ethnic minority doesn't mean they're not a nasty small-minded little jerk." Carrot (quoting Vimes)

Well Pratchett has discounted both Vimes and Moist as being the future Patrician and he doesn't want to write about Carrot taking the throne so I'm pretty much stumped. I expect there'll be a general rush for the position whilst Vimes tries to prevent everything from dissolving into total anarchy. Eventually the person least offensive to everybody is likely to be elected since I doubt anyone smart enough to acquire the position like Vetinari did exists

I was positing an idea. Perhaps a way to explain his out of character behaviors. I asked myself, "Why is he acting out of character? This isn't the first time he acted out of character. The heavy drinking and unusually approachable conversations were also out of character. Didn't they say once that his predecessors became significantly unhinged?" So I jumped to that conclusion. I thought it was a good place to start a mental exercise.

Personally i think Vimes would end up in a terrible position. As the second most powerful person in the city, he is ideally positioned to take control and enforce order, but it would involve, from Vimes perspective, a betrayal of The Patrician. It would also put him in a terrible position regarding Carrot, the rightful heir.

I believe that Moist would feel forced into a position to try to steal the city. The ultimate scam, as well as being a beloved public figure, unlike Sam.

Political unrest in the city would seriously destabilize the balance between the city and the college. I really have no idea how Ridcully would deal with the sudden change.

"Just because someone's a member of an ethnic minority doesn't mean they're not a nasty small-minded little jerk." Carrot (quoting Vimes)

Vimes said something like: 'Do not know. As old as me?', so he was not certain. We do not know much about him ( and I think that's good.)
Here, in the Vetinari folder, is an interesting theory about him and alcohol http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WMG/Discworld

We know that Vetinari is about the same age or a little bit younger than Vimes. He was a young man not yet graduated from the Assissin's school in Night Watch when Sam was entering the night watch. I always estimated that Vimes is probably in his 40's or maybe 50's (Fred Colon is just getting towards retirement and we know that he's at least 10 years older than Vimes). If Vetinari's about the same age, I think he'd have a while to go before he'd be ready to hand in the towel. I like Austrlis's idea of young Sam. Although it would probably be another 25 or even 30+ years before he'd be ready, Vetinari could hold out. Also, with his "uncharacteristic" behavior, in the past, everything Vetinari did was for a reason. So, maybe there's a reason here that we'll see in the future.

MoonJewel wrote:Although it would probably be another 25 or even 30+ years before he'd be ready, Vetinari could hold out. Also, with his "uncharacteristic" behavior, in the past, everything Vetinari did was for a reason. So, maybe there's a reason here that we'll see in the future.

Maybe he's feigning a very gradual descent into mental instability to lure out a few of the more clandestine and cautious political malcontents so he can make an example of them and keep the rest in line.

The fall out would secure his position for at least another decade and make any remaining plotters extremely cautious about pouncing on any apparent weaknesses.

We know Vetinari loves to play the long game.

It's all about the sun master, white snow and red blood and the sun. Always has been.